Stage-Stratified Analysis of Prognostic Significance of Bax-Interacting Factor-1 Expression in Resected Colorectal Cancer

Abstract EN

Background/Aim.

Bax-interacting factor-1 (Bif-1) plays a crucial role in apoptosis and autophagy.

The aim of this study was to evaluate Bif-1 protein expression and its prognostic significance in colorectal cancer (CRC).

Methods.

We analyzed Bif-1 protein expression in 251 resected specimens from patients with CRC by immunohistochemistry using tissue microarray.

Results.

Low Bif-1 expression was observed in 131 patients (52.2%) and high Bif-1 expression in 120 patients (47.8%).

No significant differences were observed in clinicopathological parameters between patients with high and low Bif-1 expression.

Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed no difference in survival between patients with high and low Bif-1 expression.

Stratified analysis of Bif-1 according to TNM stage demonstrated that low Bif-1 expression was significantly associated with a poor outcome in patients with stages I and II (P=0.034).

Stratified multivariate analysis demonstrated that low Bif-1 expression was an independent indicator of poor prognosis (hazard ratio, 0.459; 95% confidence interval, 0.285–0.739; P=0.001).

Conclusion.

Patients with low levels of Bif-1 expression have shortened survival rates in CRC of stages I and II.

This suggests that Bif-1 protein expression may be a useful prognostic marker in early-stage CRC.